Two monoclonal fluorescent antibody kits were compared to a direct immunoperoxidase (DIP) stain being used routinely for staining shell vial preparations for Herpes simplex virus. Of 68 specimens tested in triplicate, 24 were positive for HSV. The Syva FA kit showed 100% sensitivity and 100% specificity when compared to the DIP results. The Bartels FA kit was slightly less sensitive (92%). The Syva kit was also brighter and easier to read than the Bartels. Either FA procedure was less labor intensive than the DIP, and also less expensive. For all of these reasons, this study resulted in the substitution of the Syva FA for the Bartels DIP for detection of HSV, and the project has been completed.